Concealable furnishing



Aug. 9, 1932- w. c. FMN 1,870,719

CONGEALABLE FURNI SHING Filed March 18, 1929 5 sheets-sheet 1 Au 9, 1932. "w. C. mm 7 1,870,719

COINCEALABLEFURNIYSHING Filed Mama 1.8, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 2 2g 6 L i I Invenfir:

Aug. 9, 1932. w. c. FAIN CONCEALABLE FURNISHING Filed March 18, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 3 fimvewxfor: walfier CHE m,

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE \VALTER C. FAIN, F NORFOLK, lVIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR '10 WAINSLO MANUFACTURING 7 CORPORATION, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA CONCEALABLE FURNISHING Application filed March 18, 1929. Serial No. 347,913.

The present invention relates to domestic furnishings, and has particular reference to furnishing sets of the type wherein the several associated pieces are capable of being collapsed and folded against the wall or into a cabinet when in disuse.

A general object of the invention is to simplify the construction of this general type of furnishings, to improve the mechanism for 19 guiding the moving parts during the unfolding and collapsing operations, and to increase the stability of the parts when in unfolded or operating position.

A feature of the invention resides in the 1;; provision of novel and improved means for positively guiding. the legs of the seat units from their folded inoperative position into the extended operative position and to maintain such legs in proper spaced relation and parallel to the cabinet doors or other support when the seat units are extended for use.

A further feature of the invention consists in a simple back construction which is so connected with the outer leg as to cause the leg and the back to partake of simultaneous movement, during which the back controls the unfolding and folding of the leg.

A still further feature resides in improvements in the guiding and supporting means so for the table and its associated leg.-

These and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a furnishing set in which the present improvements are incorporated, the table and seat units being unfolded,

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the table and one seat unit in collapsed position,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section with the table.

unfolded, I

ofFig'.5,-

Fig. 4 is a vertical section with the table for housingand concealing the table and.

benches when the latter are not in use.

Althoughthe present setis illustrated in association with a cabinet, the invention is not thus restricted, and it will be evident that many of the improved features possess equal utility when incorporated in it set which folds directly against a wall or other supporting surface. In the present embodiment, the cabinet C consists of a rear or back wall 2, side j ambs 4, a finishing easing 6, and hinged doors 8. The cabinet may be permanently incorporated as a unit in the wall, or it may rest upon the floor and project outwardly into the room. 7

The table A is preferably rectangular in shape and may be formed of any suitable material such as wood or metal. The rear edgev of the top 10 is grooved to receive a rod 12, the ends of which project laterally beyond the sides of the top to form pivot trunnions.

The pivot rod is securely fastened to the table and within the groove by means of abracket or clips 1 L. I

' Inclined channel-shaped guides 16 are attached to the side jambs 4 of the cabinet, such guides being dimensioned to slidably receive therein the pivot trunnions on the rod 12, and thus confine the movement of the inner end of the table to a definite and restricted path. The upper end of the channel guides terminate V in substantially the same plane as that occupied by the table when the latter is in horizontal extended position; The lower ends of the guide members are adjacent to therear wall of the cabinet and are at such heights that the outer end of the table I will clear the upper face of the cabinet when H ll the pivot rod is dropped to the lower ends of the channels.

In addition to the sliding pivot connection formed by the rod 12 and the guide channels 16, the table is connected to the cabinet by means of brace rods 18, theupper endsof whichare hinged at 20 to the bottom of the table top and the lower ends similarly hinged at 22 to the base of the cabinet. The brace rodsv 18 serve as supports for the inner end of the table when the latter is in horizontal position and act to'positively guide the table in its movement from folded to extended po-' sitions, and vice versa. ,7 v

The outer end of the table is supported by alegQ which is hinged to the bottom of the top as at 26 so as to permit the leg to be folded inwardly against said bottom surface.

accomplished automatically through a connecting rod 28having one end pivotally attached to the leg at 30, and the other. end

pivoted at .32 to one of the brace rods 18;

When supportingthe: table, the leg assumes a vertical position perpendicular to the table and floor, but through the hinge connection described, iscapableof being folded against the bottom of the table, as indicated in Fig, 4:, when the set is collapsed.

wVhen the table is to be folded, the outer end thereof is manuall elevated, such movement being accompanled by a lowering of the inner end. The table will simultaneously have a bodily niovement towards the cabinet along a'path determined by the pivotal connections between the table and the bracket members 18' and the channel guides 16; As the table moves towards the cabinet, the connecting rod 28 Will cause the leg to move toward the bottom of thetable, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 8. hen completely folded, the inner end of the table occupies a position at the lower end of the guide channels, the top of the table is substantially flush with the rear 1, wall of the cabinet, and the table le is compactly foldedagainst the bottom of tee table. It will be noted; that during the movement of.

constructed and arranged as to assume an operative horizontal position adjacent to each side of the table and in comfortable seating Each bench consists of 'a' relation thereto. seat 34 having a front leg 36 and .a rearleg V 38 hinged to the bottom surface as at 40' and 42 respectively. The hinge connect-ions between the legs and the seat are such that the legs may assume a vertical supporting posi. tion perpendicular to the seat andthe floor position the sides of the seat' The floating hinge permits the seat to be swung in a vertical plane from a vertical to a horizontal position, at the same time permitting the inner end of the seat to rise and fall vertically. Through this construction the weight of the seat is removed from the door, except when the seat is in its folded condition. When the seat is folded,-

the trunnions 48 are at the lower end of the vertical slots &6 as illustrated in Fig. 6

However, when the seat isin its extended horizontal position, the trunnions are lifted above the lower end of the slots due to the fact that the inner leg 38 is of greater length than the distance between the slot bottoms and the door and perpendicular to the seat and the floor. In prior constructions, I have proposed to use a spacer block between the lower portion of the leg and the door to assist in guiding the leg during its movement and; to

maintain it in proper spaced relation with the door. However, 'such a block functions merely to locate the inner position of the leg and does not control theoutwardmovement and neither can it positively guide the'leg in all of its assumedpositions. As a result, the

spacer block can be regarded as having been only partiallysatisfactory. According to the present invention, the leg is connected to the door by a rigid connection which positively controls the positionof the leg in its operative seat supporting position, in its folded posi-- tion, and its movement through all intermediate positions. This result is obtainedby means of a rigid linlr 50,0ne end of which is pivoted at 52'to a bracket 54: on the door, and the other end pivoted at 56 to a similar bracket 58 on thelower portionof the leg. It willbe noted that when the leg is in seat supporting position as in Fig. 5, the connecting link holds the leg exactly perpendicular to the floor and i restrains any lateral movement either toward or away from the doorfi lVhen the seat is folded, the leg will move upward and inward toward the doorfollowing an accurate path,

. having the pivotpoint 52 asa center. when the benches are in use and may be folded I The rear rung of the outer seat legisp'rovided with a vertical extension projecting upwardly a substantial distance above the plane of the seat. The upper end of the leg extension 60 forms a support for one end of a back member 62. A pivotal connection between these members is formed by a bolt 64 which extends through an opening 66 adj acent the end of the back and has its projecting end securely fastened at 68 to the inner side of the leg extension. The connection illustrated permits the seat, back and leg to be so relatively folded as to occupy a minimum amount of space. When folded, the back will not extend outwardly beyond the combined thicknesses of the seat and leg.

The opposite or inner end of the back is pivoted at 70 between the ears of a bracket 72 securely attached to the door of the cabinet. In addition to serving as a back rest, the member 62 performs the equally important function of controlling and guiding the outer seat leg 36 during its folding and unfolding movements. As the upper end of the leg extension is maintained at a fixed distance a from the pivot 70, movement of the seat upward and toward the door will cause the outer leg to move about its hinge 40 toward the bottom of the seat. When the seat has reached a vertical position and in substantial contact with the adjacent door surface, the outer leg will have been completely folded against the seat, the several parts having then assumed the positions illustrated at the right in Fig. 2. These movements are reversed when the seat is lowered and the back member 62 will then cause the outer leg to unfold. When completely unfolded, the outer leg will be perpendicular to the floor and be firmly held in such position through the rigid back.

To remove the set from the room, the table and its associated parts are folded into the cabinet in the position shown in Fig. 2. The bench units are then folded up against the cabinet doors. When the cabinet doors are closed, the bench units will be swung into the cabinet against the table. To unfold, the operations described are reversed.

Since the manner in which the various parts of the set operate to perform their several functions andthe sequence of the operation as a whole have been set forth in the above detailed description, no further explanation of the structure or operation is necessary for a clear and complete understanding of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In collapsible furnishings, a vertical support, a seat, means providing a vertically shiftable hinged connection between said seat and said support so that said seat is capable of assuming a vertical position ad- J acent the support when in disuse and a horizontal operative position at right angles'to the support, inner and outer seat-supporting legs, means for hinging said legs to the seat bottom so that the legs may assumea vertical seat-supporting position when the seatis extended and a folded position substantiallyparallel to the bottom of the seat when the seat is in its inoperative position, and means for controlling the path of the inner leg during its folding and unfolding movements, the said means including a pivot on said support below the seat and a pivot on said inner leg below the seat, and a rigid means connecting said pivots.

-52. In collapsible furnishings,- a vertical support, a foldable bench unit. associated with said support, said bench unit comprising a seat member pivotally connected to said support, a seat-supporting leg adjacent the outer end of said seat member, said leg having an extens'on projecting above the plane of the'seat and a rigid back member having one end. pivoted to said extension and the other end directly pivoted to the support;

3. In collapsible furnishings, a vertical support, a foldable bench unit associated with said support, the said bench unit including a seat member pivotally connected to said-support so as to be foldable into an inoperative position parallel with said support and extended into an operating position at right angles to said support, a leg for supporting the outer end of the seat member, said leg having an extension projecting above the plane of the seat, means for hinging said leg to the seat member so that the leg may be folded against the bottom thereof when the seat member is moved to operative position, and a rigid back member having one end pivoted to said extension and the other end directly pivoted to said support.

4. In collapsible furnishings, a vertical support, a seat, means providinga vertically shiftable hinged connection between said seat and said support, inner and outer seat supporting legs, means for hinging said legs to the seat bottom so that the legs may assume a vertical seat-supporting position when the seat is extended and a folded position substantially parallel to the bottom of the seat when the seat is in its inoperative position, means for controlling the path of the inner leg, and independent means for controlling the path of the outer leg.

5. In collapsible furnishings, a vertical support, a seat, means providing a vertically shiftable hinged connection between said seat i and said support, inner and outer seat supporting legs, means for hinging said legs to the seat bottom so that the legs may assume vertical seat-supporting position when the seat is extended and a folded position substantially parallel to the bottom of the seat when the seat is in its inoperative position,

means for controlling the path of the inner 1eg,sai-d means comprising a link pivoted to said leg and to said support, and independent means for controlling the path of the outer leg.

6. In collapsible furnishings, a vertical support, a seat, means providing a vertically shiftable hinged connection between said seat and said support, inner and outer seat supporting legs, means for hinging said legs to the seat bottom so that the legs may assume a vertical seat-supporting position when the seat is extended and a folded position substantially parallel to the bottom of the seat when the seat is in its inoperative position,

means for controlling the path of the inner leg, said means comprising a link pivoted to said leg and to said support, said outer leg extending above the seat, and a back rest pivoted to the upward extension of said leg and to the support. 7

7. In collapsible furnishings, a vertical support, a seat hinged to said support, inner and outer seat supporting legs, means for hinging said legs to the seat bottom so that the legs may assume a vertical seat-supporting position when the seat is extended and a folded position substantially parallel to the bottom of the seat when the seat is in its inoperative position, means for controlling the path of the inner leg, and independent means for controlling the path of the outer leg.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set m signature.

' WALTER C. FAIN. 

